Sustainability

"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living." - Sir David Attenborough.

 

The natural world has always been my biggest inspiration. Without it, I would have nothing to paint, sketch, arrange or collect. It is essential, not only to life on earth, but to everything I do, as an artist. 

Here, I'd like to talk about the steps I'm taking, and those I'm working towards, to keep my little business as green as possible. I will be as transparent and detailed as possible here, to inform you on the sustainability of the products on my shop. 

 

When Creating...

I bring a container for collecting litter as I beach-comb. As well as the natural finds I bring home, I also collect man-made materials like nurdles, discarded fishing net, larger pieces of plastic and anything else that could cause harm to wildlife. 

All of my artwork is printed on 'Elephant Natural'; a 100% recycled, unbleached paper, from de-inked post consumer waste. PRINT WORK supply my art prints and use chlorine-free processing to reduce water contamination. 

When Selling...

With every purchase, I fund the planting of one tree. This is accomplished through my partnership with Ecologi. You can read about where these trees are planted and which projects they're funding on their website. 

A percentage of every purchase is donated to The Wildlife trusts. I became aware of this charity early on, as they protect the island off the coast where I grew up. However, I soon went on to discover that they work across the whole of the UK, in both land and sea, conserving and regenerating important habitats for our wildlife. The amount donated from each item is listed in its description. 

When Packaging...

I use eco-friendly packaging. All of my packaging is ordered from Priority Direct - a plant friendly packaging company, and certified B Corp. They are part of the 1% For The Planet organisation and display a sustainability rating for every product.

The boxes I use are plastic free, biodegradable and fully recyclable. The tissue paper is made from recycled materials and is also biodegradable and compostable! The wood wool is recyclable, biodegradable and plastic-free, made from sustainable sources. I also use paper tape which is fully recyclable.

When bubble wrap is used, it has been re-used from other companies to avoid it being sent to landfill. I urge you to re-use it again. 

 

What I'm Working Towards...

In early 2024 I will be focusing more on my watercolour paintings. I'm currently working on a collection around UK rockpool life. The addition of prints on my shop will allow me to reduce the number of curiosity frames each month. A handful of frames will be released in exclusive monthly drops, reducing the amount of items I collect and making them even more sustainable. 

I'm hoping to switch to a local frame-maker for all of my frames in the future. This would support a small business, reduce transportation and packaging, and allow me to source more sustainable materials.